Chinese visual artist Cai Guoqiang and outdoor brand Arc'teryx apologized on Sunday for staging a fireworks display in the Himalaya Mountains that drew widespread criticism over its potential impact on the Xizang autonomous region's high-altitude ecosystem. Local authorities have announced an investigation into the event.

中国视觉艺术家蔡国强与户外品牌始祖鸟于周日致歉。此前，二者在喜马拉雅山脉举办烟花秀，该活动因可能对西藏自治区高海拔生态系统造成影响而广受批评，目前当地有关部门已宣布对此次事件展开调查。

On Friday, Cai ignited three sets of fireworks at an altitude of about 5,500 meters in Gyalze county in Xizang's second-largest city of Shigatse, as part of his art project, Ascending Dragon. The show, which was designed to symbolize vitality and auspiciousness in Chinese culture, used chemical elements the organizers claimed were biodegradable and verified by international tests during past events.

上周五，蔡国强在西藏第二大城市日喀则的江孜县，于海拔约5500米处点燃三组烟花。此次烟花秀是其艺术项目《升龙》的组成部分，旨在象征中国文化中的生机与吉祥。主办方称，烟花所使用的化学物质具有生物可降解性，且在以往活动中已通过国际测试验证。

However, the video of the fireworks, which was released on Saturday, triggered a heated debate online, with critics questioning whether the fireworks disturbed wildlife, damaged vegetation, or polluted the high-altitude ecosystem.

然而，该烟花秀视频于周六发布后，在网络上引发激烈争议。批评人士质疑，此次烟花秀是否惊扰了野生动物、破坏了植被，或是对高海拔生态系统造成了污染。

In a statement posted on his official WeChat account on Sunday, Cai said that he and his studio have taken the public's concerns seriously and "humbly accept all criticism of our artistic creation".

周日，蔡国强在其官方微信公众号发布声明表示，他与工作室高度重视公众关切，“虚心接受针对此次艺术创作的所有批评”。

"We indeed overlooked many aspects, and I deeply apologize," he said, pledging to work with local authorities and third-party agencies to assess the environmental impact of the show and, if necessary, take remedial measures.

“我们确实在诸多方面存在疏漏，我深感歉意。”他说道，并承诺将联合当地有关部门及第三方机构，对此次活动的环境影响展开评估，必要时将采取补救措施。

Arc'teryx, which is owned by Finland-based Amer Sports and partly controlled by China's Anta Group, deleted the controversial video and also issued an apology for the branding activity, vowing to "sincerely accept all criticism and suggestions" and take corrective actions based on environmental assessments and public feedback.

始祖鸟品牌隶属于芬兰亚玛芬体育集团（Amer Sports），且由中国安踏集团部分控股。该品牌已删除引发争议的视频，并就此次品牌推广活动致歉，承诺“真诚接受所有批评与建议”，并将依据环境评估结果及公众反馈采取整改行动。

Authorities in Shigatse announced on Sunday that a team has been formed to investigate the fireworks event. The team was sent to the site for verification, and follow-up actions will be taken based on probe results, and in accordance with laws and regulations, they said in a statement.

日喀则市有关部门于周日宣布，已组建专项团队调查此次烟花秀事件。相关部门在声明中表示，团队已赶赴现场核查，后续将依据调查结果，严格依法依规采取相应措施。

Earlier, the organizers of the show had said that precautionary measures were taken to protect the local environment, including relocating livestock and herders, guiding away small animals with salt, and restoring meadows and farmland immediately after the fireworks. They emphasized that the event was assessed as having the "lowest risk level" in terms of both noise and light pollution.

此前，活动主办方曾表示，已采取多项预防措施保护当地环境，包括转移牲畜与牧民、用盐引导小动物远离活动区域，以及在烟花燃放后立即对草地和农田进行修复。主办方还强调，经评估，此次活动在噪音与光污染方面均处于“最低风险等级”。

However, environmental experts questioned whether such precautions were adequate for one of the world's most vulnerable ecological zones.

但环境专家对这些预防措施能否保护这一全球最脆弱的生态区域之一提出质疑。

"It's not scientific to use the smoke-testing result in low-altitude or urban environment as a reference for its impact on a high-altitude ecosystem," said Palden Tsering, an associate professor at Qinghai Minzu University.

青海民族大学副教授帕尔登・次仁（Palden Tsering）指出：“以低海拔地区或城市环境中的烟雾测试结果，作为评估其对高海拔生态系统影响的依据，这种做法并不科学。”

The cold and arid conditions in the Himalayas and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are known to slow down any decomposition process, raising doubts on whether the so-called biodegradable chemicals actually disintegrated quickly, Palden Tsering said.

帕尔登・次仁表示，喜马拉雅山脉与青藏高原气候寒冷干燥，物质分解过程缓慢，这让人对所谓“可生物降解化学物质”能否快速降解产生疑问。

The expert also cautioned that fireworks residues might leach harmful chemicals into alpine meadows or water sources. "Such impacts may last for years and should have been considered beforehand."

这位专家还警示，烟花残留物可能会使有害化学物质渗入高寒草甸或水源。“此类影响可能持续数年，本应在事前就充分考虑到。”

The organizers' attempt to use salt feed to drive away animals already suggests that the fireworks display was likely to disturb local wildlife, he noted. "Salt bricks have no odor and are not conspicuous, making it difficult to imagine how they could effectively 'repel' small animals such as pikas," he added.

他指出，主办方试图用盐饲料驱赶动物，这一行为本身就说明烟花秀可能会惊扰当地野生动物。“盐砖无气味且不显眼，很难想象它能有效‘驱赶’鼠兔等小型动物。”

Gu Yourong, a council member of the China Wild Plant Conservation Association, explained the challenges involved in restoring alpine meadows if the fireworks actually caused damages.

中国野生植物保护协会理事顾有容解释道，若烟花秀确实对高寒草甸造成破坏，后续修复工作将面临诸多挑战。

"The topsoil on alpine meadows is just a 10-centimeter-thick turf layer. Once damaged, it cannot regenerate easily, because below it lies infertile rock debris. Vegetation could take decades — even centuries — to recover," Gu said.

顾有容表示：“高寒草甸的表层土壤仅是一层10厘米厚的草皮层，一旦受损便难以再生，因为其下方是贫瘠的岩石碎屑。植被恢复可能需要数十年，甚至数百年时间。”

Despite the apologies, many netizens called the fireworks display reckless, saying that it clashed with Arc'teryx's branding as a nature-respecting outdoor brand.

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